The Long-Tailed Tits are keeping busy

A Long-Tailed Tits' nest is visible in a gorse bush on Buck Hill -- probably too visible for success. Ahmet Amerikali found and photographed it yesterday, with a bird busy building up the nest into a ball shape.

I went there three times today but missed any activity. I did see another Long-Tailed Tit coming out of a well hidden nest near the bridge.

A pair of Coal Tits followed me and Neil for quite a distance taking pine nuts.

Neil fed a Chaffinch on the path near Temple Gate. It's from the family in the shrubbery near the bridge.

Here is a female in the shrubbery.

The Redwings were disturbed in their usual place on the Parade Ground, as work was going on there. They moved to the fenced-off area next to the leaf yard, where there are fallen leaves full of insects and muddy soil full of worms.

A Carrion Crow cawed loudly in front of the daffodils at the Vista.

Another had found a bit of pizza, one of their favourite foods.

Another picture by Ahmet, a Wren singing in the Rose Garden.

A Grey Heron came in to land at the island. In the distant background is the gilded spire of the Albert Memorial.

Ahmet got a good picture of a Great Crested Grebe with a perch.

Coots hung around the nest on the Long Water which the grebes have stolen from them. There's nothing they can do as long as the grebes stay in place.

Coots at the Lido passed the time by having a fight.

I haven't seen any Pochards for a while and think that most of them have already left. But today there was a single drake under the willow by the bridge.

The Egyptian Geese on the north side of the Serpentine, now down to three goslings, were alarmed by a passing dog and moved nearer the safety of the lake. Coming back, they encountered a harmless Greylag Goose and chased it away.

Another Egyptian took advantage of the breaking waves to have a thorough wash.

The rotten and broken horse chestnut tree near the Serpentine Gallery had Oyster Mushrooms on it in the autumn, but these have given way to a handsome brown bracket fungus. As usual I can't identify it.

Update: Mario tells me that it's an Oyster again. Just a different colour from the previous ones in standard grey.

The large marble fountain in the Italian Garden has been out of order for months, but it has finally been mended and the stone nymphs are spouting again. This fountain is called the Tazza, but no one ever calls it that.